Priorat, Spain

Marc Ripoll Sans

Just two hours from Barcelona, I love drinking and visiting Priorat - if you like your reds big, and with tons going on, then Marc’s wines are for you.

The trick is to find a good one you can actually afford - the top wines sell for €100's.

No pressure then to get my Priorat right for WineSpark - so I asked my friend Ferran Centelles for his recommendation.

Ferran was sommelier at the famed El Bulli for 13 years, and now writes for JancisRobinson.com as the Spanish wine writer. There probably isn’t a more respected wine palate in Spain.

Marc was top of his Priorat list, so that was a tip-off worth chasing down.

Marc is Priorat born and bred, and a fierce defender of the old winemaking traditions that are in danger of disappearing in favour of more international, commercial styles these days.

Which is a shame because Priorat is probably the greatest place in the world for the Carignan grape.

And one of the best examples is his 5 Partides wine made from his grandfather’s 100+ year old vines. And Decanter agree, declaring it the joint 2nd best Carignan in Spain.

MARC RIPOLL SANS'S WINES